HK$46b and counting: Disney enjoys best ever year at the box office

Finding Dory, Captain America and Zootopia among the biggest hits, which have contributed to a record-breaking 2016 – and, with two months of ticket sales yet to be counted, the ultimate record is within reach

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Walt Disney Studios is celebrating its biggest ever year at the global box office after posting US$5.9 billion (HK$45.8 billion) in ticket sales during the first 10 months of 2016.

Hits such as Finding Dory , Captain America: Civil War and Zootopiaensured that the studio, which owns prestigious brands like Marvel and Pixar, has already beaten last year’s record US$5.8 billion with two months to spare, the company announced.

With aStar Warsspin-off, Marvel’s superhero movie Doctor Strange and animated musical Moana yet to open domestically at the time of announcement on Tuesday, the studio could comfortably pass the record of US$6.9 billion, set by Universal in 2015.

“For the second year in a row, the Walt Disney Studios has reached a new high at the box office thanks to an absolutely stellar collection of releases from Disney, Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm,” said studio chairman Alan Horn.

“This success is a testament to the refined talent and innovative work the entire studio team puts into making these world-class cinematic experiences.”

Disney has set several records this year, becoming the fastest studio ever to hit US$2 billion domestically and US$5 billion at the global box office, both in July.

Coastguard drama The Finest Hours also sank without a trace, with Variety magazine reporting that Disney was expecting losses of around US$75 million from the film.

On the other side of the ledger, the studio had three hits in 2016 that passed the illustrious US$1 billion global mark – Captain America (US$1.1 billion), Zootopia (US$1.023 billion) and Finding Dory, (US$1.022 billion).